I am asking that you write an essay of not more than 800 words that analyzes ONE of the poems attached in the file named “Requirements”. You must quote the lines you discuss. In the case of the Italian sonnet, I suggest that you discuss the octave and then the sestet. This will keep your discussed focused. Do not forget a conclusion. In the case of Stevens poem, one way to approach it is to look at the sentences he creates from the lines of the poem. How many are there? What do they say and how do they say it, again looking at diction, punctuation, and tone.
Remember that you need an introduction and a thesis. It may help to consider who the poet is addressing and why. Once you write this, create a transition to the subject matter of the octave and then quote the first four lines of the octave, discuss them and then move on to the second four lines that complete the octave. You might focus on the authors diction, her punctuation, and her tone. What is she trying to accomplish, and how does she do so?
Please refer to the voice who speaks the poem as the speaker, not the poet or the narrator. Do not refer to the poet by his or her first name. It will be either Millay or Stevens. When you quote, cite the line numbers in an in-text citation.
